Stigmata
by Rahwin
Summary: Darkness, light, trust, solitude. Ranma woke one day, and discovered his nightmares woke with him. Follow as he walks the razor edge of reality to find the truth. Insanity to one side, nothingness to the other, he falters, he falls. Will someone help him?
1. Jagged ends 01

by ufomanne 03/10/06

STIGMATA

Disclaimer: I have written this story, but I do not own the characters or anything of the work they originate from.

Chapter 01 Jagged ends  
Part 01

trust is such a fragile thing  
the human heart is fickle...

III

The blood.

It was everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, on him, everywhere. He struggled frantically to squirm free of the body that lay limply on him, his unresponsive limbs was like water; they almost seemed to belong to someone else in their weak attempts at flailing or moving at all. Finally, after a long struggle, he managed to crawl out from under the corpse with a terrified sob. He tried to stand up, to flee, to do anything to escape from the blood, but he couldn't even muster the strength to sit. He continued crawling, only moving at a snail's pace with his weakened body, with a grimace of terror plastered on his blood encrusted face and unacknowledged tears making trails down his face. He had to get away, away from the blood.

Ranma jerked violently from the image in his mind, and narrowly avoided the large, clawed hand that was aimed to rip his jugular from its proper place. He frantically dodged another swipe that would have earned him a fatal wound had he failed to avoid it, and nimbly launched himself in a series of back flips to gain some distance to his enemy. He finished the flip with an unsteady stagger, almost falling to his knees.

The blood. It was here too, the metallic smell and slightly sticky feel of warm blood, but now it was his own; this fight had not been in his favour. It was night time, and the park was dark and quiet, only the sounds of leaves rustling slightly in the soft breeze, and the muted sounds of a desperate struggle.

It was a monster; he had encountered it while slowly strolling through the large park. It had been waiting for him, standing on the path he walked, letting itself be seen well before it attacked. It was tall, about two meters, and its body and limbs were thin, bony and incredibly strong. Its hands and feet were large, disconcertingly out of proportion, each bony finger and toe ended in a wicked black claw, it moved hunched forward and in a crouched stance that almost led the thought of a monstrous starved and rabid monkey. It had grey wrinkled skin and was clad in tatters of some sand coloured robe which swayed about its body when it moved.

However none of these things made Ranma classify this creature as a monster, it was the face, and specifically the eyes of the being in front of him. The face was made of the same wrinkled grey skin as the rest of it, rather humanlike in its appearance, it had a mouth full of jagged and broken teeth and a nose that almost seemed rotted away, all of it was twisted into a still mask of rage and hate, so etched into the face that it let anyone looking into it know that it was capable of no other emotion. The eyes though, while the general appearance was of decrepit hate and decay, the eyes were different; they glistened with health and terrible intelligence. They were the eyes of someone Ranma knew, and they were filled with a cold hate so all-encompassing that he could not look away. Those eyes, locked with his since he came close enough to recognize them in the dark, instilled a silent, chilling terror in Ranma, making him, forcing him to relive again and again a memory he had done everything he could to forget.

The fight had continued for some time, Ranma's skill and speed was stretched to its limit, and the monster, while utilising no apparent skill at fighting made up to it with ferocious speed and bone crushing strength, and nothing Ranma threw at it seemed to have any lasting effect on it. Ranma had felt its jaw break, and several of its ribs, but it maintained the same hateful grin and hadn't even slowed down or otherwise acknowledged its injuries. Ranma, on the other hand, felt every mark where he had failed to dodge the creature, the intense pain in his left forearm and the inability to clench his left hand into a closed fist was the signs of his first and last try at a block. His right side had wounds from its claws and he thought that the pain in his side might mean a broken rib or five, his shirt was wet with blood and stuck to his side with a strange cold sensation. Other, lesser wounds and bruises was found all over his body and he was starting to feel exhausted, from the extreme tempo of the long fight, and the heavy damage he had sustained.

He stared at the hateful eyes staring at him unblinkingly as they exchanged blows and he smiled in grim satisfaction, the world had a peculiar sense of humour indeed, he had expected to end his days in a similar fashion, but the pure horror of the situation made his worst fears look like pale shadows.

The brutal fight came to an abrupt end as Ranma failed to dodge the opening swipe from the monsters charge and received a heavy blow to the head, flying backwards and to the side like a puppet with its strings cut, rolling a few meters in the dirt and then coming to a stop on his back. The monster slowly walked up to him, clearly sensing that the victory was its and seeing no need in hurrying to finish off its victim, it came to stop at Ranma's feet, looking down on him with the frozen grin and cold, glistening eyes. Ranma looked back, his body lacked the strength to move anymore, his eyesight swimming with small black shining dots.

Ranma looked up at the eyes staring at him, and he realised; the monster would kill him now, and in his mind, Ranma finally relaxed, somehow satisfied with that ending, happy to soon be unable to remember anymore. He looked up at those familiar eyes with sad resignation, refusing to close his eyes as the monster raised a hand with sinister claws; made only to kill. He slowly directed his stare upward to gaze at the beautiful star covered sky, opening his mouth to whisper his last words to the ghosts in his mind.

Unable to move, and thus unable to react in any way, Ranma heard an anguished outcry from outside his field of vision, the monster not likewise impaired whipped its head and body around to face the source of the desperate shout, ready to eviscerate anyone foolish enough to interfere. Ranma's eyesight was somewhat blurry, but he could still see the bolt of brilliant white energy and light come streaking in with great speed from the same angle as the voice, trailing glowing white mist after it. It hit the surprised monster in the abdomen, exploding in an eye blinding cascade of light and white motes of energy. The explosion lifted Ranma's helpless body once more, making him tumble through the air to land roughly on his face a short distance away. Grunting in pain as he landed, Ranma immediately tried to push himself up on his arms, but they gave out before he could make any considerable effort, he gave up and lay still breathing slowly. He heard quick footsteps on the gravel of the pathway, and soon someone knelt beside him, gentle hands grabbed him by one of his arms and his other shoulder, lifted his face from the ground and carefully turned him around.

Her face was lovely; pretty blue eyes brimming with tears, her delicate mouth trembling as her exquisite face framed by soft blonde hair expressed an emotion too strong to properly name. She cradled him in her lap and brought one trembling hand to the side of his face, as if touching him to see that he was really there in her arms. Ranma slowly opened his mouth, feeling half dazed with pain and amazement at the girl's sudden appearance and stunning beauty.

"Hi." Ranma whispered, his voice rasping through his dry throat in a painful breath. The girl seemed relieved at his somewhat anticlimactic attempt of communication, a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as twin tears slipped along her eyelashes and landed on his cheek.

"Are, are you all right? I... I saw you, and I thought I was too late, I just, I, I..." her voice was a mix of relief, panic and fear, a quiet sob escaped her even though she seemed to fight it. Ranma smiled at her, but it turned out more like a grimace of pain.

"I'm ok, I think... Just, have been better." He muttered, not attempting to move just yet.

"I, I can help you I think, wait." Her eyes brightened a bit as if she remembered something, and then she closed her eyes and put her hand on his chest, a small wrinkle of concentration appeared in the middle of her brow. A soft white glow started to emanate from her hand seeping into Ranma's chest, the glow intensified and soon the whole girl shone with soft white light, the hand itself was like a brilliant star. Ranma felt with growing amazement how hit chest first grew tingly and warm, the pain disappeared quickly and the warmth spread through his body, removing most of his fatigue. The glow faded suddenly, and the girl seemed on the verge of fainting, she closed her eyes and seemed to steel herself, and rose slowly letting go of Ranma, once standing she wobbled slightly and then steadied herself. Ranma also got on his feet and flexed his fists and patted the areas of his body that had been heavily damaged. Even though he felt he had been awake for three days straight and had been beaten with a stick repeatedly there were no wounds, not even bruises, to be found. He turned to look at the girl, studying her a little closer now when he didn't have to fight to keep conscious.

"Thank you, I guess. I'm Ranma..." His tone was subdued as he glanced curiously at her peculiar garb. She was dressed in some kind of modified school uniform with brightly coloured ribbons on the bodice and a white skirt with yellow and blue stripes. She had white gloves that reached her to the elbows and boots which was of the same colour theme. To top it off she had her very long hair made up with odangos, which were held up by a tiara and several other glittering accessories. In short; she looked very strange, but not in a repulsive way. She was beautiful, almost glowing in the shadows of the park they were in. She looked nervously at him while he studied her, and looked down and seemed almost surprised at her own attire. She looked up again, seemingly even more nervous, opened her mouth, hesitated for a second, and then spoke.

"I'm… I'm Usagi." She looked at him with a desperate look, then looked down at her feet, her blush going unnoticed in the shadows. Ranma tore his eyes from Usagi and looked around the small area they were in, nothing could be seen of the creature that had attacked him, only a small crater where the bolt had hit it. He could hear running footsteps that came closer, probably police or something similar coming to investigate the ruckus. He looked back at the beautiful girl again and pointed toward the sound.

"I think someone is coming, we better get out of here." He said quickly in a low voice with a nervous edge to it, his emotions in turmoil. Usagi looked into the distance where he pointed and nodded quickly, she looked back at him and fidgeted for a second before talking.

"I, ah, just a second" She almost stammered, then she closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate very hard, her face scrunching up in a pretty cute way. Ranma was surprised as soft white light suffused her and he could see the contour of her clothing dissolve to light and then solidify again in another shape. The whole thing took just a few seconds, and then Usagi stood before him in a more proper school uniform in subdued grey and black. Ranma's eyes widened as he somehow recognised Usagi's face now, he couldn't quite place it, but it was familiar. He was startled out of his stupor when she took his hand and with a whispered 'I'll explain later' she led him running out of the park in the opposite direction of the approaching steps.

* * *

They paused briefly in a semi dark alley, Usagi panting heavily and leaning against the wall while Ranma glanced out on the larger street seemingly unfazed from their quick run. Seeing no apparent followers and no suspicious figures among the few people who walked along the street he turned toward the girl that had saved his life, in a quite spectacular way. He narrowed his eyes and tried to bore through her to see what her motives were while she had her back turned to him, to discern why she was vaguely familiar to him. He felt a spike of resentment towards the girl, he had been ready to die, an end to all the suffering. But now it was for naught, another monster to hunt him in his nightmares. He recognized with his logic that she had saved him and that he should be grateful, but his emotions didn't quite conform to his thought. She turned around and leaned on the wall, slowly sliding downward until she was crouching against the wall and turned her eyes on him. He looked away when her gaze met his, her glittering eyes and flushed face making him feel bad about being so suspicious. He glanced around on the two big grey buildings that towered on each side of them idly, trying to hide the nervousness he felt. His eyes fell back on her, and he spoke up.

"How… What happened back there? Who are you?" His voice was subdued as he looked at her from below his bangs, slowly walking closer to her, She rose up while still leaning against the wall. She looked to the side, her hands playing unconsciously with the hem of her skirt.

"I don't know… I just saw you and… I had to do something, it just came to me. It has never happened before." She said, her voice just above a whisper. She looked up at him again, with a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

"What was that thing? It was so… wrong." She whispered, almost as if talking loud would summon it to them again in its naked horror. Ranma looked away with an uncomfortable expression, almost looking a bit sick.

"I, I don't know." His words sounded false even in his own ears. He shrugged and stepped away from her, slowly making his way down the alleyway. After a moment of hesitation Usagi started following him. He looked at her over his shoulder, studying her beautiful face, she looked tired but it could not overshadow her subtle radiance.

"So, Usagi you say… I think I've seen you somewhere, but I can't quite remember…" he trailed off, looking quickly around as a new street opened up, and then walking over it and heading down a stair, past a few bushes and down into a passage below a road. Usagi was quiet at first, following him closely, but then spoke up.

"I feel the same about you, but I don't know why," she said as she put her index finger to her lips in a thoughtful gesture, and then shrugged "but I'm sure I haven't seen you around here." They walked in silence for a while, Ranma ignoring the girl who followed him, and Usagi keeping close with some uncertainty in her step, seemingly unsure of why she was following. After a while they came up next to an area with a few dark abandoned houses marked for demolishing but that had been left slowly disintegrating for a couple of years. In the darkness the big buildings loomed ominously above them. Ranma glanced at Usagi which was looking at the hollow, blown out windows gaping empty at them. He then proceeded to push open the rusty gate to the fence that had been put up to keep unauthorised people away. The gate whined on un-oiled hinges, a few shreds of the chain that had held it locked still hanging from one side, and he stepped inside. Usagi looked at him worriedly.

"Where are you going?" She asked with a concerned tone.

"Home" Was his short reply. Usagi frowned as she slipped inside the gate before it fell close with a subdued rattle. Usagi hurried up to his side, almost tripping on the rubble and the pitted asphalt covering the ground in the sparse illumination from the streetlights. She looked around and hugged herself, partly from the chill that now was noticeable when she was not warm from running anymore, and party from the disconcerting surroundings.

"You live here? How is that possible?" Ranma glanced at her when he heard her incredulous tone. He sighed wearily.

"It just is. I'm used to it. It's not so bad." He replied evenly and calmly walked into one of the hallways on the side of the closest house. The outer door was nowhere to be seen, and the rooms that lined the corridors either missed doors or had ones that seemed half ready to fall apart. Usagi paused to look at the corridor, the walls were scarred and badly worn with only traces of paint left, leaving only bare and cold concrete in most places. She noticed after a few seconds that Ranma had turned left and had ascended a stair and ran after so that she would not be left alone.

Ranma looked at empty entrance into his haven then switched his gaze to Usagi coming jumping up the stairs next to him. He turned again and strolled into the barren room with Usagi close behind. He paused, putting several bundles that Usagi had not noticed him carrying on a rickety table that was lined up by the wall to the right, and then disappeared into another empty doorway further down the wall next to the table.

The room with the table was pretty big, and bereft of decorations. It was as in bad shape as the rest of the building, but it lacked the rubble, dirt and dust that covered everything else. Four windows decorated the wall opposite of the door, all of them barred with makeshift shutters made of assorted pieces of wood. Six square pillars helped hold the floor above them at bay, giving the room a slight feeling of having been used as storage before. The room angled out after a few meters and to the right was a raised part of the floor where an unmade and slightly dirty futon was laid out. The rest of the room was empty. Usagi took a few hesitating steps into the room, studying everything around her with tearing eyes.

"Damn it, my last shirt." Ranma muttered as he came back, studying his dirty and shredded apparel. He glanced at Usagi's shocked face as he passed her and lit a few candles with a match on the table and started rummaging around with the bundles. After a minute he turned around with a bun of bread in his mouth and several more in his hands. He offered one to Usagi, and when she numbly took it he started slowly eating his own.

"You live… here?" Said Usagi with an unsteady voice, her last word displaying awkward disbelief. Ranma just nodded.

"Yeah, the cold water still works here," Ranma said with a low voice, staring at the food in his hands. "The roof isn't leaking and most of the wind doesn't reach inside, better than sleeping outside." He added, giving a dismissing shrug. Usagi turned fully towards Ranma and took a few steps closer.

"But what about your family? Don't you have any other place to go?" Slight desperation coloured her voice as she made a questioning gesture with her hands. Ranma slowly stopped chewing, his face visibly darkening. He lowered his face so his ruffled hair hid his eyes.

"No, they… They're all gone." He whispered and put the half eaten bread back on the table as if he lost his appetite, putting all the rest of the bread in his hands down with it and then looking back on her. "Besides, what's so wrong with this place? It has everything I need to survive." He retorted, with slight irritation. Usagi opened her mouth to answer, but Ranma threw out his arms in a frustrated gesture and talked before she could.

"Why are you here really? Why did you follow me here?" Usagi flinched and took a step back at his sharp tone, accidentally dropping her bread as Ranma pushed on. "You never answered me, what did you do back there? Those strange clothes you had, and the explosion, and the healing light, who are you?" His question ending in a half-shout Usagi shirked back even more, holding her hands up in front of her as to defend herself from his harsh tone. When Ranma didn't shout any more, just remained in his questioning stance watching her darkly she lowered her arms and looked down on her shoes.

"I've never done it before, this was the first time I… transformed and did those things." She told him with a subdued voice, she sniffled and then wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, looking back up again. "I've had all these strange dreams the last few months. Dreams about having those clothes, and using… powers like that, I felt a yearning, like something was calling me." Her voice became stronger as she continued, and Ranma apparently relaxed a little bit, listening intently.

"Calling you?" He asked, and she nodded timidly while looking down on her hands.

"The calling got stronger and stronger over the weeks, until I felt like I was going to burst because I didn't know what it was, I couldn't run to what was calling me. And now, I was on my way home, and I heard something from the park… I, I saw you there, on the ground…" Ranma looked away when tears started silently fall from her eyes. Then she looked up at him with an intense gaze. "It was you! You were the focus of the longing, I almost fainted from the rush of the call, and… It was going to kill you, and I knew I wouldn't be able to live on if you died, so I just did what I did, I don't know how I was able to do those things, but next moment it was destroyed." Her voice trailed off, as if her energy had been spent and depleted with her words, slow, quiet sobs shook her frame. Ranma sighed and walked over to the raised portion of floor that his bed rested upon, sat down on the edge and looked up on her with a tired expression.

"Thank you, I guess, for saving me. I don't understand much of all this, it doesn't make any sense." He shook his head slowly while remembering the eyes of the abomination that had almost killed him, that would have killed him. "I'm not sure I want to understand though." He looked slowly up at her, and then tiredly drew his hand over his eyes, letting out a tired sigh. Then he rose up, eyeing her carefully.

"I'll follow you outside to the street again, so you can go home. Your parents must be worried about you." He said, starting to walk toward the exit. She looked at him surprised, tears on her cheeks forgotten, then a look of embarrassed apprehension slowly grew on her face. She looked at her feet again, her blush evident even in the sparse light as she mumbled something. Ranma stopped, and turned to her.

"Huh? What was that?" He asked.

"I, please… I don't want to leave." Usagi whispered. A look of incredulity crossed Ranma's features, as her blush intensified and went from neck to hairline. "Don't misunderstand me! It just feels wrong to leave, I don't know why. Can I, can I stay here?" She hurriedly continued, almost stammering in her hurry to get the words out.

"No." Was his quiet and final reply, as he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. She stood frozen for a few long seconds, and then ran after him.

Outside the wind had picked up, making it seem colder. It rattled the fence and somewhere in one of the derelict buildings a window stood clattering in the wind. Ranma took no notice of the chill, even as the wind pulled and clawed at his torn clothing, he walked quietly down to the gate like a silent shadow. Usagi followed him, looking miserable. He held up the gate and turned to her. "You'll find your way home from here, right?" He asked and she nodded in reply. Slowly she stepped outside the gate and took a few steps out on the sidewalk and then turned around. They stood like that for a minute, gazing at each other, Ranma again noticing her beauty. Then he turned around and started walking, and did not turn around again.

* * *

100414 did some light editing.

well, I am back. It was a long time since I wrote anything, but my muse struck me, and I have complied. This work has had no pre-readers, all errors are mine and mine alone. Constructive criticism about the story and my poor language are both greatly appreciated, contact me at the address above with whatever you have to say.

This story is obviously a Ranma½ and Sailor Moon fusion of some sort. Both worlds are changed and twisted more or less unrecognizable to fit my ends, so don't expect anything and don't get disappointed if nothing is what you think it will be. I will update when I feel like, which means that it might be next week or in a year or two, don't stay up waiting.

Also, as I say, feedback adds to the joy of writing and as such I welcome any comments thrown my way. I am however writing this story for myself, you can change my path, but not dissuade me from my goal. I hope someone will get something out of this story, be it me or someone else.


	2. Jagged ends 02

by ufomanne 05/01/07

Disclaimer: I have written this story, but I do not own the characters or anything of the work they originate from. Fanfiction, yes...

Note:  
Thank you for the constructive reviews, I have broken down the paragraphs into smaller segments to make it easier to get through and updated the chapter. Reviews with "I like this" is always nice, but constructive critisism gives so much more. Thanks a lot.

I I I

STIGMATA

Chapter 01 Jagged ends

Part 02

trust is such a fragile thing

the human heart is fickle...

I I I

With a hoarse scream of denial ripping though his throat Ranma awoke as he jerked upright on his futon. Drenched with sweat and panting he stared blankly at the darkness around him, the horrors of his dreams slowly fading, replaced by the more subtle terror of the waking world. 'Same dream again' he thought as he rubbed his eyes free from sleep. He drew the part of the covers that had not been thrown off already to the side, making a disgusted grunt at their sweat-damp state as he rose, stretched slightly and went over to the table with the food.

A rattle was heard as a rat fled from the table as he came up to it, Ranma fumbled with the food in the dark, finding the one that the rat had half eaten, he picked it up but did not sample it, he found an untouched bun and took a bite. Walking slowly in the pitch black Ranma left the dark and cold room and carelessly bumped the door open which led to the room to the right of him in the corridor.

This room was just as barren and much dirtier, under his bare feet broken glass crunched unnoticed as he headed up to the windows, the empty gaping holes only had jagged edges of glass left. He felt the slight wind on his skin as he looked out on the part of the city he could see.

Throwing the rat-gnawed bun out the window with an absentminded flick of his arm he chewed slowly on the other piece of bread, noticing it had dried up over the night. He stood there slowly eating while he greeted the dawn as the sweat dried on his bare frame. The sun glimpsed over the horizon and its light swept over the land, caressing it awake. Ranma drew a deep breath that hitched slightly, coming close to a sob, and then closed his eyes for a moment feeling the warmth on his face, a slight smile grew almost unnoticed on his lips and shortly died again, he then turned around and walked into the dark once more.

After a cold shower and a futile try to wash the blood out of his ruined shirt he stepped outside his home and began the trek into the more bustling parts of the city to find warm water, a new shirt and sustenance for the day.

I I I

A muted echo of thunder could be heard from far away as Ranma sat crouched on the edge of a tall office house. He looked up from the food in his hands and studied the heavy clouds above suspiciously, but when no rain came his way he turned his attention back to the noodles he was previously wolfing down.

Finishing the rest of the half eaten meal in a few minutes he then set down the plastic foam cup to the side on the grimy concrete. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand with a satisfied sigh, it was long since he hadn't been at least a little hungry. He had managed to get two hours work lugging boxes at the back of a warehouse and for once had some money to eat a warm meal.

While wiping his mouth his eyes caught the unfamiliar muted blue of his shirt and studied it for a moment. He had seen several of the silk shirts he preferred in the shops he had been walking past, but the best he could find that he could afford in the second-hand store he did enter was the dark blue linen shirt he was now wearing. It had a rather deep V neck with a string to keep it closed and strings around the wrists to keep the slightly oversized arms closed around his wrists. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but the design made it easy to move in, and other things were unimportant next to that.

He sat there resting his forearms on his knees, idly watching the bustling street eight stories below. Cars went by in tight procession, and the broad walkway was stuffed with people clad in different business suits and other random clothing, walking close but never touching, busy with their errands and single-mindedly rushing towards their goals. Many of them talked in cell phones, a few talking to a companion beside them. The loud rumble of all the activity washed over him as he sat there with an almost vacant expression on his face as minutes ticked away unnoticed, first contemplating the mass of humanity, then drifting slowly away into numbness.

Bloody knife raised high, hand tainted by red holding the handle so tight it looked bloodless, the tip of the knife quivering, then flashing down-

Ranma started as he was slowly teetering over the edge of the building and about to fall, his cold skin and bloodless face feeling clammy. He quickly aborted the fall by springing up from his crouch, launching himself over the wide gap in an arching leap. The riot that was his feelings tore at him, trying to pull him down, to crush him, his heart racing so fast it was about to burst. On the top of his trajectory he felt darkness creep into the periphery of his vision threatening to black him out, he fought it, landing on the roof of the opposite building in a stumble and almost fell.

Panting while leaning on his knees the darkness slowly receded, he then rose up and shook his head. Bringing up one hand to cover his eyes he drew deep breaths, then pulled his hand over his face, he wanted to question what the hell was going on, but the memories were too sharp, he could not focus past them. Instead he tried to bottle up the tumultuous feelings inside of him and decided to move to a park in the vicinity to train, so he could stop thinking, if just for a moment.

Starting to roof hop towards his destination he remembered the girl he met before, Usagi. Absentmindedly continuing on his path he pondered the happenings of the day before, it had started just like so many others, just going through the motions of survival. When he was on his way home it had changed, he had met that monster. He fought it, but not with the usual fire, he had admitted himself to death, to flee from those eyes.

But he had been saved. The mix of feelings that flooded his mind when he thought about Usagi almost overwhelmed him, suspicion warred with awe as he thought about her strange powers and her beauty. Only thing that was sure was that she had seemed as confused about the whole deal as he had been, if not more. Her help had not been welcome, but he could not help but feeling grateful at the same time.

Brooding over his angelic saviour as he hopped along the roofs to his destination he almost missed it when he soundlessly touched down on a gently slated roof of corrugated metal, but as he made his touchdown he heard a crystalline clear "No!" come to him, and he recognized that voice with a brutal certainty. The voice was filled with pleading fear – the spring in his step was gone and he rolled softly two times to get rid of his momentum. Once on his feet, crouched low, he looked around him quickly. That voice had come right in front of him, but there was no one there, he relaxed from combat readiness and listened closer.

Faintly from below him he could hear arguing, and the voices tugged at him in a peculiar way. He was normally not in the least inclined to intervene or even pay attention to unknown people fighting unless someone was in danger of dying or receiving permanent harm. However he was unable to deny the urge to investigate this particular incident and slipped quietly to the edge of the roof.

Glancing over the edge revealed a slightly open window where the sounds were coming from. It was on the top floor to his right, he crept over and gracefully swung down, hanging by his feet. The distance between the window and his perch was such that he could only see a part of the room inside – a bedroom apparently – he almost didn't reach the top of the window with his head as he was hanging upside down.

"Please, I'm telling you the truth, nothing happened!" came her pleading voice, with a shrill overtone of fright. "Please believe me, Mammoru!" his name came out as a desperate cry. Ranma saw her now, how she backed into his field of vision, close to the bed, her arms up in a defensive position but holding out her palms in a pleading gesture. Suddenly he could feel his heartbeat thundering through his head, and time seemed to slow down to a viscous pace.

He immediately recognized her golden hair and beautiful face, streaked with tears as her lips trembled when she whispered the name again. Up from the corner came a man halfway into view, clad in dark slacks and a gray shirt he reached forward with his left arm and took Usagi's left hand in a firm grip at the wrist, pushing her back and forcing her to stumble into the end of the bed, bending back with her balance broken, only held up by the solid grip of the man's hand.

"Please, it hurts" she begged the man in front of her with a cowed voice. Ranma heard the man make a disdainful grunt.

"You promised you'd never look at anyone else, you promised! How can I trust you when you so blatantly flirt with other men?" His voice was concerned, betrayed, but also threatening and promising violence. Ranma was mesmerised by what he could see of him, that half body without a head that held Usagi captive, he saw the fist of the man slowly whiten around her delicate wrist and Usagi whimpered. "It's for your own good, can't you see? We'd be so happy together if you could just listen to me for once." The man continued with an urgent tone to his deep voice.

"Please, I didn't look at him, I just tried to help-" she begged desperately but was interrupted.

"No! Don't try to lie to me, I know you all too well!" his voice was shuddering with rage. Ranma was totally surprised and almost fell from his perch when the Man's flat hand came up and slapped Usagi hard over her right cheek with a sharp crack that cut into Ranma. His sight went red, and the beating of his heart reached a crescendo like a huge wave breaking on the cliffs of a jagged shore. Something clicked and he came out on the other side of the storm of breaking emotions, and on the other side he found an empty void made of focus, he became a part of the emptiness. His cringe relaxed and his eyes cleared of emotion, all he knew was -movement-.

Usagi's head jerked to the side at the sharp blow and her eyes unfocused for a second, then she looked up at the man with panicked eyes, tears forgotten, and tried to shield herself as he raised his hand again, he slapped away her arm disdainfully and readied another blow while Usagi cried for forgiveness.

The hand came down with blinding speed and Usagi could not close her eyes, she watched with morbid fascination as the hand came down to bruise her, to slice into her wounded heart. Something dark blocked out the light outside the window, and suddenly the window exploded with the force of a grenade, she was blown back and out of Mammoru's grip and everything went black.

Ranma slipped into the room feet first and let go of the upper remains of the window with graceful ease, the last of the momentum brought him standing upright and flowing forward. The man had staggered back but hadn't fallen, he just shook his head bringing down his hands from protecting his face, he saw Ranma's empty face coming closer and he started talking "wha-" then Ranma was up close, Ranma bent his knees and landed a dual palm strike on the man's torso with the full force of his body from his feet to his palms. The man lifted into the air and shot like from a cannon, he hit the wall with a loud thud and slid down until he was sitting, and then slowly fell to the side, unconscious.

Ranma stood there watching him for a few seconds, feeling nothing, and then he turned to Usagi that was draped over the bed. She moved slightly and mumbled, seemingly stunned by his entry, he flicked his gaze over her form quickly to check for any wounds, and found only the red mark on her cheek that was slowly swelling and a few small marks from broken glass. He bent down and scooped her up, made sure she was safely within his arms, and then climbed out of the window and up on the roof.

Once out of the bedroom the void drained out of him and he found himself standing there confused, not certain of what he would do with the girl in his arms, or with himself for that matter. An uncomfortable moan from Usagi and he forced himself into motion and jumped two times as gently as he could, to a flat office roof close by, and carefully set her down by a humming air exchanger.

He held her up as she came to, she gave a pained sigh as she brought her hand up to her face to cover her nose and forehead to support herself. Ranma watched helplessly as her hand touched her bruised cheek and jerked back when it stung her. She looked surprised, as if she could not understand why, she touched the tip of her tongue to the tip of her fingers and watched the red mark her saliva left there. She looked into his eyes then as if realizing his presence for the first time, the first wracking sob bloomed from within her, seemingly taking her by surprise. It burst the dam, as she broke down she reached out and grabbed his shirt, pressing her face into his chest letting the river of sorrow and fear stream out of her.

Ranma sat crouched in front of her, with her leaned into him wailing out her sadness, and he was lost. His first impulse had been to run away, her outburst of emotion scaring him and making the hair on his body stand up in a strange resonance with her feelings. That subtle kind of fear had made him run so many times before, but this time he stayed. Even if sitting there was all he was capable of doing, no sound came out of his mouth, no soothing movement from his paralyzed body. Silently witnessing Uasgi's emotion flow, trying to cope with the surge of mixed feelings they invoked in him.

Called by the tears that soaked up in Ranma's shirt the clouds answered in kind, first with a slow pitter-patter, soon thereafter with a soft, steady rain. It hid their feelings and concealed her tears, soaking slowly through their clothes and intensifying the mood of the moment. It also heralded the inevitable change in Ranma, silently changing him to his female form. Minutes went and slowly Usagi calmed down, still sobbing quietly she finally took notice of the fact that the chest the pressed her face into had changed. She looked into Ranma's stormy blue eyes not far from her own, and recoiled in surprise.

"Who are you?" She asked in alarm, her voice hitching slightly by residual sobs and her lower lip still trembling faintly. Ranma just gaped at her for a moment unable to comprehend the quick turn in attitude, but the answer was obvious in the reflection in Usagi's beautiful and scared eyes, the curse. Ranma opened her mouth but first nothing came out, her voice getting stuck in her throat. She coughed once, and shook her head to clear it and then looked at Uasgi with a quiet plea for understanding.

"I'm Ranma, I'm cursed to become a girl when I get wet" Ranma stated it short in a matter of fact voice, emotion slowly draining out of her face as she tried to brace for the reaction. Usagi stared at the face before her, how the rain matted her fiery red hair to her head making it closer to blood red, droplets slowly trailing down her face. Usagi opened her mouth, water dripping from her face and from her bottom lip.

"A, curse? As in magic? That's not possible" She finally stuttered out, rising up slowly, still leaning on the ventilator. Ranma rose as well, crossing her arms under her breasts and a slight frown marked her delicate features.

"Impossible how? Didn't you throw bolts of light around you and healed my wounds, how is that not magic?" She threw back, the emotional moment making her voice more sharp than she intended. Usagi frowned and looked down, unable to give an answer.

"I don't understand. Why are you cursed? Why did I... change into that thing" she said quietly, the steady rain almost draining out her voice. She shook her head and brought her head up to gaze at Ranma. Ranma looked back, and felt her face heat up at the vulnerable look on Usagi's face, greatly emphasized by the red welt growing on her cheek, if his blush was born from anger or embarrassment of the sight Ranma was not sure of herself.

"What I would like to know is what was happening back there, who was that guy anyway?" Ranma asked while frowning at Usagi, finally getting to the question that bothered him about this peculiar meeting. Usagi's looked startled and clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Mammoru! What happened back there... I have to get back" Her voice was fretful and she looked around her on the empty roof desperately trying to find a way down, Ranma gaped at her for a few seconds.

"You're actually going back to that guy? He hit you!" Ranmas disbelief was evident in her voice. Usagi turned back to Ranma and a shadow passed over her face.

"He didn't mean it, I just made a mistake. He'll forgive me if I just talk to him again" Usagi bit her lip and nodded to herself. Ranma shook her head

"But he -hit- you, he can't do that! How can you forgive him just like that?" Ranma asked with an angry tone. Usagi glared back, suddenly looking angry herself.

"Because I love him! Because it was my fault he hit me, leave him alone! You don't know anything!" she yelled back at Ranma, who recoiled from the outburst. Ranma stared at Usagi for a short moment, and then turned away and shrugged.

"Fine, see if I care, do whatever you want" she muttered sourly, put her hands in her pockets and started slowly walking towards the edge of the roof. Once at the edge Ranma stared down at the dark alleyway and she was just about to drop down when Usagi calling out made her freeze up and turn around. Usagi shut her mouth and lowered the hand she had reached out with and looked embarrassed.

"Please help me down?" She asked in a small voice. Ranma just stared at her for a moment with a blank face, inside her emotions warred among themselves, too chaotic to tell apart. Finally Ranma walked up to Usagi with deft steps and swept her up drawing an embarrassed eep from Usagi. Ranma didn't look at the girl in her arms as she walked up to the edge and dropped down without a word. Usagi hid her face against Ranma's neck as they fell down to avoid screaming at the butterflies in her stomach as she became weightless for a second.

A rushing wind came to meet them and scattered the raindrops with a shockwave as Ranma landed with a muted grunt, she rose up from her crouch and put Usagi down on her own feet again. Usagi stumbled and then turned around to say something, but Ranma was already gone. She gazed up at the gray weeping sky that was visible overhead, between the tall buildings where Ranma must have disappeared.

Then turned around and hurried away.

I I I

Her breath rasped painfully through her dry throat as she desperately tried to draw oxygen for her aching muscles, her long black hair plastered to her sweaty face. She cast around her for an escape as she huddled behind the corner that she had thrown herself behind, the adrenaline coursing through her body giving her focus through the panic that permeated her mind.

Her thoughts momentarily touched the ironic fact that her desperate struggle for survival felt so natural when someone else threatened her, giving up was far from her mind unlike the many times she had contemplated suicide herself.

Suddenly she could hear the hoarse breath of the thing that was hunting her, and she ran again, the agonizing pain in her legs making tears fall down her pale cheeks as she pushed her fragile body as fast as she could. Throwing herself inside an open and rusted gate she left the road she had been fleeing down along behind her, hoping to find shelter in the houses ahead of her.

She looked up toward the buildings, her vision wavering slightly as her fatigue bordered on total exhaustion. Her eyes flicked over the dilapidated buildings, belatedly noticing their ruined and abandoned state. A sob welled up inside as her heart sank, and she whirled around covering her trembling lips with a likewise shaking hand as the clatter of the gate announced her hunter's arrival.

She had been out walking, as she usually did to get out of her home. Tonight her fancy had steered toward a part of the area where she hadn't visited before. She had been walking down the sidewalk of a road caught up in her own thoughts and not noticing much of her surroundings when it had appeared.

At first she didn't notice it as the frayed suit it wore made it look rather human. It had its back to her and was swaying back and forth and grunting quietly, seemingly looking for something. The sour smell surrounding it had made her hesitate, and it had turned around. Those wide, gleaming eyes had frozen her heart with the hate contained within them. The twisted parody of a human face had scrunched up even more as if annoyed at seeing her, and then it started to limp slowly towards her, and she ran.

As she desperately panted for air she looked at the shrunken twisted frame of the thing, still in shock over the speed the creature was capable of. The chase here was just a cruel game, it nipping at her heels as she tried to flee from it. To no avail, she was cornered.

She turned around to run again, but she stumbled and fell after just a few steps and the thing was upon her as the ground came up to meet her. It did not bother with hitting her, it simply stood over her whimpering and prone form, letting out a few wheezing breaths before it roughly picked her up by the throat. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as it gripped hard, she slowly brought up a hand to weakly claw at the hand slowly suffocating her.

Her vision begun to swim and the corners of her sight gradually turned dark. Finally only its face was left, those burning eyes made of dead anger, and its lips moved. Her body was numb and she was slowly fading, her thoughts moved sluggishly and the panic was gone 'Ran... what?' she slowly thought as she tried to understand what the creatures voice had rasped out.

I I I

Worms crawled under his skin, or at least that was how it felt. Something was wrong with the taste of the wind as Ranma hurried along to his residence. He had felt this sour taste before but he could not remember when. Not even the evening fires in the sky settled his heart as it used to do. So many strange things had happened these two last days and one thing he didn't believe in anymore was coincidence. He couldn't get a grip around it, and a frown developed on his brow as he wondered if something was truly wrong with him.

Any such thoughts were cut short as he absentmindedly jumped over the wooden wall surrounding the buildings that housed his so-called home, he froze. The reflection of the sunset made the dull gray of the decaying buildings turn into an almost gentle peach, and in the gleaming eyes staring at him the reflection looked more like a torch suffocating in the abyss. The girl limply dangling in one of its hand slipped out of it, now forgotten entirely. She fell to the ground in a boneless heap, weakly coughing for air. Gratefulness that she was still alive skittered over the bubble Ranma resided in, and his stomach felt like it wanted to turn itself inside out from the tension as he stared into the eyes of the thing. The urge to vomit slowly grew stronger, his heart rushed in his chest and sweat broke out over his body, and then his eyes narrowed.

If he died here, so would the girl on the ground. He could not care less really, but giving up was tantamount to murder at this rate, and that would not do. No, that would not do at all.

Broken asphalt crunched below his feet and sprayed up behind him as he dashed forward in a blur. His powerful kick hit home in its ribcage, a wet wheeze and a marked crunch marked a punctured lung, and threw the creature back and away from the girl. The open-handed jab he got in return to his jaw drew blood and made his vision water up, reminding Ranma of the speed and strength of the last creature he met. Shaking his head to clear it and staggering upright again Ranma threw himself at the creature hoping to catch it before it regained its footing.

The fight was not a graceful dance or an honourable battle, blows were traded in fast succession as the two silent forms twirling around each other displayed their skill at simple mauling. Ranma dodged clawing sweeps and sharp kicks skilfully, mostly saving his attacks until he had enough of an opening to land an attempt on a crippling blow. Like before the creature hardly slowed down at broken ribs or any other damage that would usually fell a human being. They clawed and punched at each other with blinding speed, at first taking and giving equal damage, Ranma suffering far more.

Suddenly a momentary opening gave Ranma enough room, managing to crush its knee with a brutal kick its maneuverability certainly slowed down. It lost some of its speed, even if it only was because of the mechanical penalty of a shattered knee rather than the creature's acknowledgement of being hurt. Just a few seconds later its right shoulder and upper arm was turned into jelly with a sickening crunch from Ranma's almost supersonic palm strike. The creature staggered helplessly, a following slap on an arm from Ranma made it twirl around and a hard jab crushed its spine close to the neck, it shuddered once and fell limply to the ground.

Ranma fell to his knees in the dirt, panting for breath as adrenaline pumping in his veins made his whole body shake. He looked at the still twitching corpse before him and his throat clenched. It was not the first time he killed, but he had been so sure he would never do it again, but here he was. He tried to calm down his frantic breath and his wildly beating heart, and covered his closed eyes with a hand. Using killing moves like that was something he had trained only to try to understand his art, not to outright practice. Only a few times had he been tempted to use them, and fewer still he had fallen for the need of the situation. But every time, every single time he used them they felt so natural, so pure. A sob climbed in his throat as he wondered why, when it was wrong to kill, did it feel so exhilarating to use those moves?

Forcefully pushing the thoughts to the side he finally managed to calm down a bit, his shoulders sank and his breathing slowed. He dropped his hand and opened his eyes again, and stared silently, unable to react as the withered body in front of him slowly fell to flakes of black ash, dirty clothing and all. The meat and tissue sloughed of its bones and quietly rustled to the ground and disintegrated all together in the span of a few moments. The now white skeleton, bones flayed and teeth shattered, cracked and withered to white dust with a slight crackling whisper. The dust glittered in the sunset flames, and crumbled to nothing with a gentle sigh of revenge.

Nothing was left of the abomination he had fought and killed, Ranma staggered to his feet his adrenaline high body still not aware of the pain he was in, feeling his overloaded mind slipping into an almost pleasant numbness he turned around. His eyes found hers and he stilled as they held each other's gaze he remembered the girl. She lay on her stomach where it had dropped her, and she had lifted her smudged face to look at him, her purple eyes shimmering with fear, relief and other feelings too mixed and fragile to classify. A few strands of her dishevelled black hair stuck to her damp forehead, her eyes drooped and she nodded once but fought the tide of darkness. She looked at him helplessly and then her head fell as unconsciousness claimed her.

I I I

Notes

Clumsy, but we are moving forward.

Remember, nothing has been added without good reason.

I'm trying to understand how to write, so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

Also, no proofreaders were used, so all mistakes are solely my fault. If you want to discuss anything, feel free to mail me and I will gladly answer.


	3. Locusts 01

By ufomanne 25/03/07

Disclaimer: I have written this story, but I do not own the characters or anything of the work they originate from.

I I I

STIGMATA

Chapter 02 Locusts  
Part 01

a tale that tells itself  
of brittle bone and broken shells

I I I

A familiar scent of blood and stagnant fear lingered in the air when she came to. After a short moment of panic the nightmare-memory sank like a rust flake through dark water, and she realized that she was not there anymore.

Once white painted roof revealed itself to her vision as she opened her eyes, the paint now damaged by water, flaking badly and revealing the dusty concrete behind it. The room was dimly lit by a candle, casting dancing shadows over the walls next to her, leaving the other side of the room mostly buried in darkness.

She blinked once, there had been... something.

Snarling rotten teeth, panic, running. The memory of yesterday came back to her in a rush, but the screaming fear from the same moment did not for some reason. Instead focusing on the here and now, her muddled mind came to the conclusion that she was lying in a bed, a futon. She tried to move a little bit, and her abused body responded by reminding her of the pain she was in. "So I survived at least" she thought wryly but without much humour. She turned her head to the side to study the room closer, and her eyes fell on Him.

He was sitting by the rectangular pillar closest to the bed, his posture sunken together in sleep. Over his left cheek some dried blood was smudged and his clothing was dusty, the candle by his side which had almost burned out gave his features a weary and gaunt quality.

'So it is his bed' she concluded as she hesitantly sat up, cover still clutched protectively to her front even though she was fully clothed. She barely held back a whimper as her muscles protested at the movement.

He had fought the monster, and she had seen him kill it before everything went dark. She shivered slightly at the memory of how his bare hands had quenched the life of the monster he fought. Her heart beat a little faster as she relived those last moments of fear and relief.

He didn't look quite as dangerous in front of her now though. A small frown was plastered on his face and he slept restlessly, his lips moving slightly but without sound. She studied him intently as his hands started twitching in his lap and his frown grew more pronounced. His breath turned laboured and with an anguished whisper he muttered a name as two tears slid from under his eyelids and down his cheeks.

His obvious pain touched her heart and she could not stand to watch idly, she scooted off the bed a bit, still sheltered with the cover of his bed, and gently reached out a delicate hand to wake him.

Just as she was about to touch him, he jolted and his eyes shot open. With an inarticulate bellow of fear and rage he slapped a way her hand and grabbed her throat with such speed that she didn't even have time to blink. The cover went flying as he ripped her up and slammed her against the grimy concrete wall, her feet dangling in the air.

Black shining dots swam across her eyes as she stared into his eyes, the grip on her throat so hard she would not be able to make a sound even if she tried.

That gaze burning into her, mad with fear and something else. She registered his other raised claw-like hand in the peripheral of her vision, and somehow she knew though his gaze that when it descended she would die.

She stared into her shining death, deep in those burning eyes that stared at her but did not see her. The corners of her vision grew dark as her blood circulation was denied her.

At that moment the realization that she was going to die hit her, it came to her and swept her off her feet. It was warm. Suddenly she was not afraid anymore, and she gave herself to it. She blinked once and smiled at him.

I I I

He was fear, he was rage. The blood thundered in his ears and he could feel his skin burn. A red veil was cast over his vision and he shuddered as power rushed through him, close to turn him to ash.

All he could remember was the blood, and the flashing glint of stained steel. It danced before him like a hideous apparition of the fate he could not escape. He revolted against it. He would not allow it to happen again.

Never again.

He held her up by the throat as he readied his fist for the strike that would stop her heart forever. The shadows danced wildly in the room and cast his shadow over her face, the face of his fear.

He would destroy her.

But then, like the sun breaking fourth with full radiance after an eclipse, she smiled, and the illusion shattered. Bewildered and confused he staggered backward and dropped the girl, she fell limply to the ground and slumped to the side, weakly coughing for breath.

It dawned on him what he almost did as he turned away from the bed, a wave of nausea welled up inside of him. He had let a memory, a nightmare rule him. Crouching on the barren concrete; his hands shook as he tried to steady his harrowed breathing, to collect himself so he could focus past the edge of panic. Swallowing to counter the bile rising in his throat, his struggle for control seemed futile as his breathing sped up to the border of hyper ventilating.

Then a small hand on his shoulder made him freeze up. Afraid to breathe or move he felt the warmth of the hand through his shirt, and unwittingly started to relax slowly.

"Bad dream?" came her voice, soft and melodic with a slight rasp, presumably from her abused throat. Thoughts scrambled over themselves in his mind to find a way to respond, but in the end the only thing he could do was nod and whisper a simple 'yes' in reply.

He stayed like that for a moment as conflicting emotions played inside him. Something as simple as turning around to look at the girl seemed like an impossible task after all that happened since he first saw her. He had only caught a glimpse of her yesterday and no details had stuck to his exhausted mind, except her eyes. Her pretty violet eyes, he was afraid to see them shine with the disgust and fear he had seen in so many others.

"Thank you." her gentle voice came as a surprise, breaking through his thoughts and scattered them like butterflies. Without a thought he turned around on his heels, her hand left his shoulder and he saw her face lit by the candlelight. She was smiling.

He stared at her and must have looked surprised, the girl settled back and let her outstretched hand fall to her side and spoke again. "For yesterday, you saved me." Ranma looked a bit sick and looked to the side.

"I think it was looking for me, I'm sorry that you got involved." He said quietly, his face clearing from emotion. He glanced up again and looked at the black bruise at the base of her throat and the slight swelling. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." He started, but trailed off. She nodded without saying anything, a small smile gracing her lips soundlessly telling him that he had been forgiven. She brought her hand up and touched her bruise with her delicate fingers, a small grimace flashing over her features at the pain.

"It's ok... I've had worse." She said, her soft voice carrying a melancholy tint, and her smile slipped off her lips. She closed her eyes and took a breath, then looked at him again. "what, what is your name?" her voice hesitant as if she was afraid to be denied. Ranma was almost mesmerised by the emotions playing over her face but finally he collected himself and spoke up.

"My name is Ranma." He gazed at her in silence for another minute, then opened his mouth as if to say something, hesitated for a moment and then finished with "I hope you rested well." Then he rose, turned around and started slowly to walk toward the exit.

"Ranma? Ran... It called your name." Her voice was uncertain and fast, fear scraped in her bruised throat at what she said, just as curiosity could not be told to be quiet. Ranma froze, and remained like a statue for several seconds. He turned around slowly and watched her with an expression of surprise and a hint of fear. So it had a voice?

"It called, my name?" Ranma's eyes glowed in the candlelight as the rest of his body was mostly covered by shadows, making the girl shrink back a bit but she nodded all the same. Ranma held the stare, but nodded then.

"I guess it was really looking for me then." He felt partly relieved but mostly unnerved. Their eyes, they had been the eyes of one he knew, but that person was no more. The girl looked to the side, intimidated by his intense stare.

"Who is Akane?" She asked to break the silence. Ranma's eyes narrowed and the muscles in his jaw flexed. The girl licked her lips quickly and blurted out "You whispered it just before you woke up." Ranma jerked as if slapped and broke the stare.

"I did?" He whispered, and the girl nodded.

"Akane..." His voice was hollow. "She was someone close to me once. But no more" his eyes focused on something far beyond the girl, something only he could see. Her mouth opened to voice her questions, but nothing came out as her breath choked when she saw something... frail, flicker in the depths of his eyes. Quietly he turned around and disappeared from the room. The girl looked hesitant as if considering if she should follow but held back, looking pensive and a bit scared. She sat still in the gloom of the dancing candlelight, the room seemed very empty without him in it, an alien and bitter air surrounding her that she noticed first when he was gone.

Soon he returned and the hostile feeling waned, he held a pitcher of cold water in his hands, water drops glittering on his hands. He crouched down beside her and gave her the water.

"Sorry, I don't have any food, but this should help at least. What is your name?" He asked quietly as the girl drank greedily from the cold, fresh water. The girl let out a relieved breath when she had drank her fill. She looked at him intently over the rim of the pitcher, her deep violet eyes twinkling with some unnamed emotion.

"My name is Hotaru. Where are we?" Her voice was subdued as she timidly licked her lips. Ranma nodded and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"We're in one of the buildings just next to where you fainted. I don't see people inside the fences very often, how did you manage to find your way here?" He asked her gently. Hotaru glanced to the side and hesitated, she spoke up but kept her eyes to the side.

"I was just taking a walk, to get away. I've never been to this area before though, I met the... the thing on the street just a little ways from here. I tried to hide, but I was not fast enough."

"To get away?" She seemed to shrink in on herself when he voiced his curiosity, she bit her lip and did not speak or look at him, Just sat there in the light of the candle with the comforter around her. After a minute of silence he shrugged and made to rise up, suddenly she spoke, almost desperately.

"From my father, I- I don't feel very comfortable at home" she opened her mouth to say more, but nothing came. She looked at him again, still with her face half turned away. "Do you live here, Ranma?" She asked, with an expression that hinted that the question was part curiosity and part distraction from the current topic. Ranma looked around in the room and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so. I've been here for a while now" he admitted. She studied him for a moment and then continued timidly.

"Do you live here on your own? No family?" Ranma's expression drained a bit of colour but didn't show any other sign of emotion, he shook his head.

"No, I don't have a... family, anymore." Hotaru studied him intently and seemed to be on the verge of inquiring further, but refrained after looking at his eyes for a moment more. She smiled, a small and sad smile.

"Sounds nice" her wistful tone made Ranma raise his eyebrows and look at her questioningly. Her pale skin turned a light shade of pink and she lowered her face "I- I mean you're free to take care of yourself... free" she hesitated and trailed off.

"Well it's not that great, no food, no money. I get by since I'm used to it, but I can't say I love it" he murmured sourly, she shrank as if he had scolded her.

Ranma gazed at her, but she seemed lost. He studied her embarrassed expression, and then looked at her slightly rumpled clothing. He noticed that her long dark skirt had ridden up her legs, exposing her right knee and some skin above it. He first registered the slight scrape on her knee that she probably got from falling yesterday, but immediately he noticed a bruise above the knee on her thigh that was much older. With a gasp Hotaru noticed his gaze and pulled down her skirt and stammered.

"I- I just fell down, um, fell down the stairs a few days ago. You see... I'm weak, and sometimes I get dizzy-" she interrupted herself, nodding and smiling weakly to strengthen her point. Ranma considered her for a second, then finally rose from his crouch and turned away, walking toward the exit.

"Well, I'm off to try and find some breakfast. When you feel like it you can leave, the exit is just to the left and then down the stairs" he told her tonelessly. Just as he was about to exit the room her plea to wait stopped him in his tracks, he turned his head and glanced at her as she stumbled up from the futon.

"Please, I have some money. I can buy us breakfast if you want. I'd rather not... return home just yet, please" she looked at him hopefully with a mix of fear and apprehension mixed in.

Normally Ranma would have refused, just so he would not have to interact with someone more than necessary. Something about her intrigued him though, a familiarity in her fear and timidity pulled at something deep within him. He looked at her, and then simply nodded and relaxed in the doorway so she could collect her things. Hotaru gave him her small smile and nodded back.

I I I

Authors notes

Well, this chapter is shorter than expected. But I realized it's better for me to actually post something in the first place so people don't give up on me entirely. I have endeavoured to make my paragraphs shorter, as well as broken up the earlier chapter in smaller segments as well. Thank you to the kind people who reviewed - especially the constructive criticism I have received, I am in your debt.

Please continue to send me suggestions as to how to improve my writing, everything from grammar, spelling errors to structure and tone in the story, I am but a fledgling seeking to improve.

As has been the fact in this story so far, I have had no proofreaders and the inevitable mistakes that you find are mine alone. Many thanks to my brother for looking over the script though, domo.


	4. Locusts 02

By ufomanne 13/06/08

Disclaimer: I have written this story, but I do not own the characters or anything of the work they originate from.

I I I

STIGMATA

Chapter 02 Locusts

Part 02

a tale that tells itself

of brittle bone and broken shells

I I I

Ranma chewed slowly on a toothpick as he strolled down the sidewalk of an empty street, walled in houses to the left and a construction field to the right. He had his fingers intertwined behind his head as he looked up at the overcast sky. The slightly chilly wind gently swept over him, making some equipment in the empty skeleton of a building to his right clank hollowly.

Having had a proper breakfast for once made Ranma feel rather content, the stress of the events that had disturbed his otherwise rather empty routine had faded to the back of his mind for a moment, leaving him to contemplate freely.

As he walked aimlessly he idly mused about Hotaru. They had not spoken much during their breakfast at a cafe not far from Ranma's abode, but they had both relaxed remarkably since their rather tense start of the day. Even though Ranma usually felt quite uncomfortable staying close to others for more than a few moments Hotaru's company had been quite agreeable, or at least less straining than was the norm.

She had been surprised to hear that he was not going to school at the moment, but had not remarked about it in any specific way. She told him about her own school, but the little she said gave him a feeling that she was not very comfortable going there. In fact, the only thing she even remotely seemed to be positive about was her walks, which she seemed to take rather regularly.

She usually didn't walk very far it seemed though, as even the short trip to the cafe had her pale and tired, her face when she got to sit down at the table was almost silly in its gratefulness. Of course, it might be that the damage her body had taken earlier took its toll out of her system Ranma thought with a hint of guilt.

What Ranma wondered about most though was why she had lied. That she had fallen down some stairs was a blatant lie as the bruise on her thigh clearly had been made with a tool. He had seen enough of that kind of bruise on his own flesh to be able to identify it at a glance.

It had been about a week old, yellowing at the edges and made with a bokken or some similar solid stick, it must have hurt like hell as deep as it had been. First he thought that she just wanted to hide that she was training some manner of martial art. He was not a stranger to the idea of wanting to hide potential skill in front of unknown people, or girls being embarrassed over their martial skill.

He could not read the slightest amount of training from her when she moved however. Such things could be false of course as he had seen amazing skill in concealment and subtlety before. Her stamina and weakness made it pretty hard to deny that she probably didn't have any training at all though, or at least not enough to warrant the kind of training that left such marks.

He let out a troubled sigh and kicked and empty can which lay in his path. He watched it bounce ahead of him with some satisfaction.

She was such a small girl, and she seemed so frail. The fact that the only place she seemed to really fear was her home made him slightly queasy with a premonition he hoped was false. Against his own better judgement he looked forward to seeing her again, if that would ever happen.

A mote of icy pain cut him in the side as the old scar of a broken rib suddenly made itself reminded. A slightly bitter taste spread from the tip of his tongue from his intake of air as he froze in mid step. The same feeling of unease he had yesterday crawled back like maggots over a carcass and settled in the pit of his stomach.

He looked around cautiously, the slowly rattling equipment to his right suddenly sounded more like rusty bells. A shiver made its way up his spine as he realized something was very wrong.

He continued his quick scan around him, but everything looked like it had been before. His awareness had always been rather keen, it had helped him out of many scrapes but this kind of stimulation was on a whole other level.

He could feel a cold sweat break out and his heartbeat speed up. There was something... tugging at him, calling him. He turned to look down the street, there was something there, on the other side of those houses and trees, a taint in the air. He was not sure how far away it was but something in that direction smelled stale and rotten, an almost intangible stench.

He stood there paralyzed with apprehension, unsure if he should hunt it down or avoid it. Suddenly the hairs on his neck stood up as he felt a similar kind of stench bloom a distance behind him, like something crawling up through rotten dirt. The sour taste that was not a taste amplified. He could feel it come closer, like a hot breath on his neck as if the thing was already upon him. He turned around, and there it stood further down the street, withered and terrible, with eyes of burning hate.

It was more or less a copy of the other two he had fought, with a rotten and twisted face, clothes dirty and in tatters. It had the same disproportionate body, large clawed hands twitching restlessly, feet with ruined remnants of shoes, dirty and warped. It was a shell where everything had burnt away in the fiery focus of its hate, leaving a monstrous parody of humanity. Only one feature remained untainted, that which carried the curse that had twisted it, those same clear and focused eyes that were trained on Ranma with an unwavering glare.

The remnants of his rather pleasant musings about the girl he had just met were swept away in a cold flood of memories as he met those eyes. Even though it stood well 40 meters away those eyes looked into his own as if they were close enough to touch. His heart shrank in his chest, his mouth turned dry and his breaths came rasping through his throat with difficulty.

The sounds of the world slowly slid away and everything slowed, the creature started moving closer sluggishly, those eyes...

An image flashed before him, a vision of memory rushing through him like a strobe.

Those same eyes, usually filled with anger and scorn, now looking at him from across the room with a serious gaze, those eyes. His heartbeat booming in his head, drawn out in slow motion as the unfathomable scene played out before him. The face was moving back and forth as it lay on the wooden floor but those eyes remained steady. The body twitching slightly, compelled by the form sitting above it, driving that glinting light up and down. Blood bursting forth from the mouth and nose, first a trickle, then a flood as the glinting light tore and ripped in a slow but incessant rhythm. But the gaze never left his, even as the light in it waned.

Suddenly he was back in his body as the memory let go, a wave of vertigo swept over him as the creature closed in, now running over the street, but no sound was heard, not even the clank of the rusty bells.

He was paralyzed, the memory still flitting at the edge of his consciousness, the monster came close enough to touch, rushing forward with single minded-purpose. It raised its clawed hands and lunged for his throat, as the claws closed in with blinding speed. Ranma's body finally jerked back into speed and he bent backward and rolled to the side frantically, the claws scratching his jugular. He came to his feet from the roll and immediately vaulted backwards to avoid the creature's next powerful overhead strike which gouged the asphalt he previously stood on.

Moving smoothly and with all the alacrity his body could muster he avoided all the creature's sweeping attacks, in his mind he steeled his will. He could do this, he had fought these creatures before and he had won. He nodded to himself in mid dodge and when he landed his muscles tensed to move against the creature. Then something caught his attention at the edge of his sight. Stepping backwards quickly to buy a second of time he threw a glance at the construction yard.

It crouched on the red metal lattice that would become the third floor, its tattered clothes different, similar differences were seen in facial features and the corrupted body – but the eyes a copy of its sibling in front of Ranma, bearing down on him with one emotion only.

Like a cold drop of condensation gliding over the curved surface of his focus Ranma recognized that he would die if he went toe-to-toe with both of them. The insight clicked in place as an obvious fact in his mind, but he didn't register it emotionally, even the peculiar discomfort these creatures gave to him was hardly noticeable anymore.

His slippers scraped on the asphalt as the split second of the glance ended, facts established and plans revised. He flowed forward with all the speed he had in him, taking the monster before him by surprise in its string of attacks. Ranma came in low and tried to dodge the already incoming claw strike, but the strike was too fast and sliced up his upper left arm. With a grimace he ignored the pain and slapped the creature's right arm out of alignment before it could try to defend and rose up in a powerful uppercut at its jaw which made it lift helplessly into the air with a sickening crunch.

With the uppercut he let the air leave his lungs in a gush, and he surged upward and forward to follow and lashed out with a torrent of strikes at its torso, feeling bones shatter and organs pulp under his assault as clumps of dark blood flew from the mouth of the creature. Ranma felt a glimpse of triumph trickle into his heart as the plan to take out the creature before the second could catch up to him seemed to bear fruition. A shadow flashing into his peripheral vision and the rising of the hairs on the back of his neck was the only warning he got, and he was vaulting away a split second later, avoiding loosing an arm to the second creature as it rushed into the fight.

The next second Ranma had turned and was running down the street with all the speed he could muster, his legs pumping so fast below him he barely kept from tripping himself. A glance behind him showed that the second one was in close pursuit and that the first creature was rising from its slumped position in the middle of the street to join the hunt. Ranma turned back to focus on running, a joyless grin slowly forming on his lips.

The wind was roaring in his ears as he rushed forward minutes later, the things that hunted him hot on his heels, ignoring all else in their pursuit. Sweat started to pearl on his brow and his breathing just getting laboured, Ranma silently muttered a curse as no good opportunity or idea had appeared yet and the street was pouring up at an end up ahead. Casting about desperately with his eyes as he pushed his body to go as fast as it could he suddenly saw a taller house tower up over the lower buildings that seemed prevalent in this area. Taking a quick turn through the small strip of greenery and some trees between the house and the road he made a great jump up on the tapered roof next to the building and then up on the taller flat roof.

Once up he looked around briefly to check his surroundings, it was a flat roof with a few protruding structures for ventilation and an elevator, otherwise bare. 'As good a place to make a stand as any I guess' Ranma thought with a small amount of amusement. With adrenalin surging through his blood he let his breath slowly go. Then they were upon him.

One of them jumped vigorously and landed in a sprint toward him, the one he had already hurt more crawled like an insect around the edge of the roof to close in on him. Ranma threw himself toward the first in an aggressive flurry of attacks but was quickly driven back by the furious response and soon he was giving ground in an increasing pace to stay alive despite the efforts of the two monstrosities.

He realized as he swayed and dodged, trying to find an opening to exploit without losing a limb in the process, that he was lost. He was quickly tiring from wounds old and new, fighting a one sided battle where the bleeding edge of his skill kept him alive an unsteady second at a time. And it made him mad, this time he didn't feel like giving up, rage and frustration surged up inside of him and his face formed into a growl.

Suddenly he noticed a shining light in his peripheral vision hissing towards him straight like an arrow, forcing himself to make an impossible twist to dodge both the both creatures and the incoming attack he only partly succeeded. Claws tore the flesh of his hip as he didn't manage to fully dodge, it broke his momentum and he started to fall to the ground. Suddenly he was helpless and the damaged creature lunged low and opened its jagged jaw to rip into his throat, only to be hit by the projectile in an explosive cascade of burning light.

Motes of fiery energy cascaded over Ranma as he was blown flat to the roof and skidded several meters from the force. The other creature gave away a hiss bordering on a scream of pain as it was partly hit by the explosion. Ranma tried to shook the spinning sensation from his head as he staggered to his feet, gasping to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him.

Ranma whipped around as he heard someone land on the roof on the other side, and saw Usagi almost fall on her face as she nearly tripped from her landing and staggering a few steps. She looked up and their eyes met, and then the fray was joined again as Ranma became busy circling around the furiously renewed attacks of the remaining creature. Quickly Usagi joined in at a distance with glowing energy suffusing her hand.

"Look out where you aim those things! They're not little firecrackers you know!" Ranma shouted in frustration as he dodged again and again. The whole deal of trying to avoid death by monster was not made easier by Usagi trying to be helpful, as the pace of the two figures made sure that Ranma had to dodge several bolts of burning light from her tries to hit the creature. The battle dragged out, Ranma slowed down by his injuries enough that he could not get a clear opening to attack. Usagi circled the two with her hand clasped around a mote of flaming light, ready to fire away but not getting a clear shot. Suddenly Ranma got a lucky shot and snatched the clawed hand of his opponent and managed to twist the creature into a throw and send it flying into one of the air exchangers with enough force to dent it.

"Now!" Ranma screamed, and pointed. Usagi let out a short scream and made a light pushing movement, splaying out her both hands with the energy intensifying between them. The bolt of light zipped off with a speed that contradicted the rather slow throw, shooting through the air and leaving a thin trail of glowing mist. As the creature crawled up on its feet to renew its attack, it didn't manage to react fast enough to the incoming missile from Usagi and was torn to dust in a blast of blinding light together with a part of the air exchanger.

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat down, leaning his back on the low rail that surrounded the edge of the roof. Breathing heavily he tiredly looked at Usagi, then at the smoking husk of the ventilation system. She looked back at him with a worried frown on her face. The silence between them was heavy.

"I can't stop thinking that getup looks weird." Ranma muttered, breaking the silence abruptly. Usagi blushed slightly and looked down on her white bodice and coloured skirt, with ribbons and all. She opened her mouth to speak back when she was interrupted by shouts coming from the streets around the house, the sound of someone running up the staircase that led up to the roof could also be heard.

"I guess that's our cue to get out of here before we get into trouble." Said Ranma and got to his feet with one hand on the rail. Usagi nodded and ran up to his side, and then climbed over the rail and jumped down on the back side of the building, gracefully landing several meters down. Ranma raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when the door to the roof started to open, and he silently followed Usagi.

I I I

They were hiding in a secluded spot in a park a safe distance away from where they had met and beat off the things that hunted Ranma. Usagi looked out from the trees and hedges surrounding the small fountain Ranma was standing close to.

"Ah man why does my clothes always have to get trashed." Ranma whined as he checked his injuries carefully. The parallel wounds in his hip still trickling blood, the dull ache in his left arm making him wonder if the bone was damaged as well as the deep claw marks to his flesh he had received there. Both his arm and his pant leg was more or less soaked in dark blood, coagulated and slowly drying.

"Are you all right?" Asked Usagi worriedly as she came up to him. "I think it's best to take you to the hospital, those cuts probably needs stitching." She held one of her hands under his unscathed right arm to help him along.

"No." His voice hard and cold as frozen iron, clearly hostile. Usagi looked at him surprised and opened her mouth to argument, but his determined face, with dark eyes almost sucking her in, a raging storm of chaos and madness deep within them. She tore her eyes away, stepping back and feeling dizzy. Taking a moment to stabilize herself again she abandoned that plan, not ready to face that expression in his face again.

"I could try to heal you again like last time." She said instead, a hopeful tint of her voice showing her eagerness to help. Ranma eyed her suspiciously.

"Don't know if I want to try that, I don't have much trust for magic." He muttered. Usagi watched his face, dirty, blood-smudged and with a claw scrape that was partially healed on his jaw. He looked tired and pale, she shook her head and put her gloved hands gently down on his hip, around the wounds and shredded cloth. Ranma frowned but didn't speak up.

Usagi watched closely and appeared to concentrate deeply as white light suffused her hands in a gentle glow. Just as the edges of the wounds seemed to start closing up Ranma took in a sharp breath of air and the flesh, wounded and healthy, started to bubble like it was boiling. Ranma screamed in agony and Usagi was sharply pushed away, skidding on the grass until coming to a stop a few meters away.

"Okay, let's never try that again." Said Ranma between his teeth as he cradled his side and tried to stand upright, checking his wound and finding it as it was before without a sign of bubbles. "Are you ok?" he asked in a slightly strained voice, with his eyes still on his hip, as Usagi sat up. She nodded, still shocked, but then shakily got to her feet again. She looked at her hands, the white gloves smeared with his blood.

"I was sure that would work, I had this image in my head how it was done." She said, a tint of frustration in her voice. Ranma looked at her for a few seconds in silence, then shook his head.

"I'm not saying I understand what you're talking about, but magic is fickle, maybe there's something missing, or I'm just unlucky." Ranma stated as he gave up standing entirely straight, instead opting on gingerly sitting down on the edge of the fountain. "Why were you there?" His question came almost flippantly. Usagi froze and then looked pensive, her eyes refusing to meet his, doubt hiding in their depths.

"Well, you see... These last two days since we met I have vaguely known where you are. The call I felt, it's focused on you. In the back of my mind I know in what direction you are, like an extra arm or leg, although I don't know how far away." Usagi frowned in thought as she tried to explain. "And I felt a prickling, like the beginnings of a headache, and I knew it was you. So I had to go and check, so I did." Ranma scratched his head and tried to wrap his mind around this, strange things had happened to him before, but this was just wierd.

"But I fought one yesterday, and you didn't show up then, sounds kind of fishy to me." Ranma said as he raised an eyebrow, Usagi nodded in recognition.

"I did feel it, but it was very brief, and I didn't quite know what it was then. But I know now. " She smiled a little and continued. "Which is good, I helped you against, those things, we're stronger if we fight together." Ranma still saw a glitter of fear in her eyes as she talked about the strange creatures, his enemies? But she seemed proud as well. He scoffed in irritated amusement.

"You call that working together? You aimed more at me than those things." Usagi looked hurt and he almost regretted his comment, his expression turned serious and he continued. "Hey, it's better if you don't, I can handle this without your help. No need for you to get involved." Ranma watched as Usagi's eyes darkened while he talked, developing a frown and pouting lips, he was hit by how pretty she was, even when angry. Without a word she stepped close to him, and then poked him in his wounded arm, Ranma flinched. "OW!"

"Don't give me that, I might not be the smartest but I'm not stupid either. You can hardly stand on your own, what would happen if one of those monsters came to attack you now?" Usagi broke into a tirade as Ranma mutely stared at her, surprised at her outbreak. "Could you have defeated the two that came for you today on your own? What if they come three or four at a time? I'm scared and I hate this, I don't understand why all this is happening. I don't know you, you seem like a jerk to me, but I'm not going to leave you to die just because you tell me to!" Usagi stared at him with tears in her eyes, breathing heavily and with an angry and flushed expression, daring him to talk back. Ranma just stared at her for a silent minute.

"Allright, take it easy." Ranma muttered finally as he held up his healthy hand in a calming gesture. "Geez you don't have to bite my head off."

"Good, you know you're stuck with me, at least until we know what's going on. I don't understand any of this." Usagi said as she motioned towards her clothes with her blood smeared hand. Ranma shook his head and looked away, he didn't understand and he wasn't sure he wanted to understand either. Murky memories skittering on the horizon, wanting to ooze in and drown him, better to do something else. He eyed Usagi, that getup was silly, but she was still beautiful.

"Do you have any martial arts training? He asked, almost letting forth a smirk at Usagi's surprised expression. She shook her head in response, and Ranma sighed, so much for that hope.

"Well, I'm not sure there's any point in teaching you anything, but at least we can discuss how to coordinate our movement a bit better, all right?" He admitted and showed with his good arm for Usagi to sit down. Usagi nodded and soon they were discussing what needed to be done to at least avoid friendly fire.

I I I

Authors notes

Back from the dead! Hand me your brains.

Slowly crawling forward. One step at the time toward the end of the world.

As usual, no prereaders used, all mistakes are mine alone. Please help me to improve, give constructive criticism and tell me mistakes I make.


	5. Locusts 03

by ufomanne  
Disclaimer: I have written this story, but I do not own the characters or anything of the work they originate from.

STIGMATA

Chapter 02 ~ Locusts  
part 03

100414

a tale that tells itself  
of brittle bone and broken shell

III

Ranma strolled slowly homebound, shuffling through the sparse midday crowd, walking carefully to avoid limping. His bandaged wounds were well hidden beneath his hastily acquired change of clothes. Thoughts milled in his head, way too much had happened the last few days to digest. Ranma hurt, his wounds smarted but worse was his mind. He had existed in an emotional vacuum for many months, content in being alone and just surviving without thinking. But now he found it harder to ignore what was bubbling inside him, just as the inexplicable attacks had forced him to interact with his surroundings on more than a superficial level. He shook his head as he was drawn to thinking about things he wanted to stay gone.

Instead he directed his thoughts to shift to Usagi while he walked on, he focused on the image of her face. Her beautiful face, he frowned, he wanted to reject her. Just to ignore her and refuse any kind of contact, then she would go away eventually. Everyone did when you gave them the cold shoulder long enough. But since the first violent meeting he wasn't so sure he wanted her to go away anymore. He didn't understand this urge that had suddenly worked itself free inside him. He wanted contact again. These last few days had been too much.

These last years had been too much.

He wanted desperately to be alone, but at the same time he felt the need for contact. Letting out a low growl he felt the need to lash out violently in frustration, feelings tearing to be free, diametrical opposites trying to overwhelm him, burn him and drown him. He didn't understand and he hated not understanding.

Stepping down from a side walk to traverse a street a jolt of pain shot up his side, the pavement was hard, dirty grey, the grey of his mind. His thoughts slipped from Usagi to how they had met. He had become dull, slow and unfocused. He hadn't thought about it before, but it was awfully plain to him now. He had lost himself back then and now he was an empty shell of martial arts, his body knew how to move, but there was nothing there to truly move it.

Where once confidence and spiritual strength were plentiful as seas, enough to move mountains, were now emptiness. However misguided he may have been he had been strong, now he was a shadow, a dilapidated husk of meat. And these monsters with eyes that he knew had came from nowhere and killed him, twice, if it had not been for Usagi. His heart revolted against it, his pride would not allow it. He relaxed the fist he had unwittingly made, to let the blood flow back into his knuckles.

His dark eyed mulling came to an abrupt halt as he noticed a familiar silhouette in the crowd a ways in front of him, on the other side of the road. She looked lost among the people, ignored, small, and curiously content. Hotaru's dark purple hair neatly combed and her clothes seemingly changed and in order since the debacle earlier in the morning. It seemed like she had been home, and he felt compelled to check up on her, even though he had nothing to offer if she was lacking anything. He watched as she made a turn and headed into a park, seeming less secure after leaving the side walk crowd behind.

He drifted through the people around him, traversing the street at a green light, flowing with the pedestrians that milled over it. He turned and moved over the sandy path of the park and ended up behind her. She did not look up, oblivious to his approach. Until his light touch on her shoulder startled her out of her reverie. She turned abruptly to face him with hands up in defence.

"Hello, Hotaru," he intoned calmly, soothingly, none of the turmoil inside of him showing, he was reminded of the breakfast he had shared with her as he saw her face and he felt how his agitation slowly drained. When she saw him and heard his greeting she visibly deflated in relief.

"Oh it's you, hi Ranma, you scared me," she meekly told him, her eyes downcast and slight blush shining through on her pale cheeks. They stood still, silence like an island in the din of the crowd and moving cars not far from them. Hotaru's eye's flicked up to look into his for a short second, then avoiding his gaze again; she adjusted the dark purple scarf she had around her neck. Her small pink tongue flicked nervously over her lips. "I was on my way to, mm, to you," she admitted, her embarrassed blush intensifying.

Ranma wasn't sure what to say, her twirling with the corner of her scarf made him painfully aware of its purpose to hide the bruise upon her neck, a bruise he was partly responsible for. He simply nodded, and calmly stated "I'm not home at the moment, sorry," Hotaru's eyes met his again in surprise, embarrassment gone from her countenance and a small giggle slipped forth, hiding her mouth with a hand.

"Did you want to ask something? Since I doubt you wanted to visit my house for the view," he asked her after a moment, to coax her from the pensive silence. She wordlessly eyed him for a moment more, then nodded and looked around them on the sandy path and the people close by. Ranma was about to comment again but Hotaru hesitantly grabbed his left sleeve and pulled him lightly further into the park.

The flat hardness of asphalt and concrete changed to the springy solidness of dirt, grass and living wood. Cherry trees growing high whispered in the slight wind, dark green, waiting for the time to come to bloom once again. A convenient bench came into view, the path was corrected accordingly and soon Hotaru sank down on top of the bench seat. Ranma stayed standing, afraid to rip open his hip wound if he sat down, leaning as comfortably as he could favouring one leg. He noticed Hotaru's breathing was rather ragged, and while always pale when he had seen her before she now her face looked rather bloodless.

"You all right?" he asked, suddenly worried. Maybe the damage she had taken was more serious than he had thought? His eyes narrowed as he felt anger and guilt surge, those monsters and his carelessness! Hotaru nodded her head and interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm ok, it's just a new medicine Father gave me today. I feel a bit dizzy," Hotaru said with a weak voice, her hands grabbing the edges of the bench to stabilize herself. On a pure whim Ranma reached out with a hand and softly stroked it over her dark hair. Hotaru flinched at the touch at first, but seemed to relax after the initial surprise, soon leaning back against the back rest, her breathing evening out.

"Medicine?" asked Ranma idly as he continued with his unfamiliar impulse for a moment more, gently caressing the top of her head, before letting his hand fall to his side when Hotaru seemed to have recovered a little bit. She nodded in response, her face tinted with pink from embarrassment.

"I'm not very strong, something in me is broken," Hotaru explained timidly, lifting a small hand to hold over her heart. "My father is trying to help me; he is doing research to make me strong again," Hotaru's face twisted sadly. "But the medicines often make me sick."

Ranma looked at her for a moment without saying anything. No longer caring about the risk he took a step and carefully sat down on the bench next to her. He grimaced as the healing wound in his hip complained at being stretched. After a moment to adjust, he sank down and relaxed slightly, letting his head drop back to watch the sky through the trees. It was quiet, Hotaru sitting lost in thought until Ranma spoke up.

"Well, if medicine helps then you should take it I guess. I would say that I was jealous of you, that I wish my own problems could be solved with medicine..." he turned his face to the side to regard her, she met his gaze and her eyes were curious. "Once I would have, but I guess it's not that easy is it?" Hotaru looked unsure and shrugged her thin shoulders slightly.

"I don't know," she said softly. Ranma chuckled and smiled at her, an amused smile that was in stark contrast with his usual dark or blank expression.

"Indeed, that's the point! That's the reason," Ranma nodded sideways at her, eliciting a small smile from her in reply. He looked at her silently, seconds slowly trickling past, both drinking in the smile on each other's face, the world falling away for a moment. Hotaru broke the gaze and watched her hands, cradled in her lap, biting her lower lip in hesitation.

"Have you, seen any more of those, um, Them," her voice wavered but the question seemed to force its way through her lips. Ranma felt a shiver run up his spine as the moment broke. He grunted in reply and nodded. Hotaru glanced at him sideways under her bangs, violet eyes glittering in remembered fear. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't stop thinking about them, worrying," she said hastily, Ranma shrugged, and then shook his head idly, not looking at her.

"It's all right, I guess. I don't like thinking about them, but yeah they seem to increase in activity. Whatever or whoever they are," Ranma shivered again at the end of his admission. Hotaru watched him intently.

"It called your name, it wanted you for some reason. I- I wonder..." Hotaru stumbled on her words and blushed, halting her inquisitive outburst with an embarrassed expression, she glanced at Ranma and his face was blank and unreadable. She sighed. "I'm sorry, it's not my place to pry, but yesterday and this morning was just... I can't stop thinking about it," she added, her last words hardly more than a whisper. Ranma's expression hardened, the muscles in his jaw visibly clenching.

"You're right it's not your place," he said through clenched teeth, Hotaru shied from the bound anger in his voice. But then Ranma sagged, and he let out his breath slowly in a sigh. "But it's not your fault you got involved. I don't know what they want, but maybe..." Ranma felt his stomach knot as he watched the bruised girl in front of him intently. He bit his lower lip in an uncharacteristic display of uncertainty, and Hotaru was hit by the doubt shining in his eyes as they studied hers. After a moment he closed his eyes and seemed to sink in on himself.

"I don't know why they want me. I haven't made any enemies the last while that would do anything like this," Ranma explained slowly and shrugged. "But certain parts of them remind me of, things that has happened before I came here. But I don't know if it's just me," he turned a serious look at Hotaru, seemingly studying her for something intangible. He shook his head slowly. "Lately things have been strange, like the borders of the world has become kind of runny, smeared," Ranma gave a grunt in frustration and gave up on his explanation. "It's just weird. Magic and such I've been exposed to plenty before but this is more..." not finding any words to define his thought he simply shook his head. Finally he turned to Hotaru.

"What do you think? You've seen it too," he said, and Hotaru hesitated, seemingly thinking deeply for a moment, her brow furrowing cutely and her fatigue forgotten for the time being in the light of the mystery.

"I have only seen a little of what I guess could be called magic," she said carefully, watching Ranma, but as he didn't react she continued. "But this is like a nightmare turned real, it's like a horror movie. That thing was unnatural," she shuddered and lightly rubbed her throat through her scarf. She looked up at Ranma, who was watching her intently. "I keep being afraid of another one showing up to hunt me. It terrifies me, I felt so hopeless against it," she shivered lightly as she cradled herself. Ranma was hit by how vulnerable she looked like that; sitting on the bench hugging herself like she tried to shield herself from the world. He felt like he wanted to reassure her, but he didn't know what to say. She turned her eyes on him again.

"I even felt like staying at home today to rest, but Kaolinite was mad at me..." Hotaru fell silent and shut her eyes, her face paled as something replayed itself behind her eyelids. Ranma frowned at her expression; he didn't like whoever could bring out that kind of face in Hotaru.

"Who is Kaolinite?" Ranma asked, curious and a bit angry. Hotaru opened her eyes and looked straight ahead, still distracted.

"She is Father's assistant, she lives with us and takes care of me as well. But she doesn't like me," Hotaru told him in a subdued tone.

"Doesn't your father protect you?" Ranma asked, but felt like kicking himself when Hotaru shook her head and hid her eyes behind her dark bangs, shoulders visibly deflating.

"He gets so absorbed in his research; he didn't even notice that I was gone last night," Hotaru shrugged slightly and smiled weakly. "Kaolinite noticed but she said she didn't want to interrupt his work," Ranma regarded her worriedly, he had his own experience with a hostile home and hadn't thought it all that strange when he lived through it himself, only realizing the toll it had taken after he had left. But hearing a similar story from someone else, someone as seemingly innocent as Hotaru disturbed him, it just didn't seem right.

"Your mom then?" he didn't want to hurt her by asking but couldn't avoid it, his curiosity wanting to find a bright spot or a solution. Hotaru just shook her head.

"I don't have a mom. She died when I was born," her words were dead and inert as they left her mouth, entirely lacking emotional inflection. Hotaru kept staring straight forward, not moving. Ranma grimaced inwardly as he had seemed to do nothing but put his foot in his mouth so far. He watched her sit there, and suddenly she looked very lonely. He knew that kind of pain, many aspects of what she told him were true for him as well. He shut his eyes, and took a deep breath and let it go slowly. Then he turned back to face forward, watching the leaves of the cherry trees.

"I never knew my mom either. Well when I was very young I did, but I don't remember anything of that," he started, glancing at Hotaru as she tilted her face slightly to look at him, white-faced but with curiosity in her eyes. He turned his gaze back to the green.

"Yeah, I went on a training trip with my pop when I was little. It was just me and pop, I missed my mom a lot at first, but after a few years it was ok. I still missed her though," he talked on, it was surprisingly easy. Like talking about what someone else had experienced. Hotaru seemed distracted from the previous topic now and watched him with shy interest.

"A training trip?" her voice expressing her interest in something that she couldn't imagine doing herself or even something others might do. Ranma nodded in response.

"Yeah, you know, I fought before right? It's a family martial arts style that I've been training for a long time. My pop trained me, and we went on a training trip when I was little, five or so," Ranma started to explain the preliminaries of his training trip, and then started telling how they had wandered around. Always training and never staying long at the same place, all the crazy training regimens as well as the different other martial arts masters and such that they had met.

A breeze leisurely rustled the leaves and the grass, the sun slowly wandered on the sky, herding clouds that were travelling over the heavens. People came walking past in fast forward through the winding paths of the green park and past them as the shadows slowly moved. Hotaru and Ranma sat on the bench, both absorbed in the story that was being told.

Ranma was in a rather good mood, distracted by the memories in his life that had been harsh but not bad, and tried to put as much effort to describe his trip as well as possible. Hotaru shifted between incredulity, horror and delight as Ranma laid bare more than half of his life. After a long while Ranma came to the end of the training trip and where they had decided to go to china, and then he started hesitating, finally he faltered.

Hotaru regarded him as he sat silently, tilting her head in question to the change in his mood. He noticed her unspoken question and shrugged.

"Yeah we went to china, but ah... That was the end of the training trip anyway," he gave a small grimace, but then relaxed and gave a slight chuckle, looking around him in the meantime. The sun hanged in the sky, slowly dipping toward the horizon, heralding the arrival of evening time. Hotaru also seemed to notice the obvious signs of the time for the first time and stood up from the bench with a slight blush on her face.

"I better get home, Father might worry and I have school tomorrow too," she nervously brushed her skirt, and looked down. Ranma watched her, scratching his neck and nodded, silently grateful she had not asked about his abrupt ending. He too stood, and hesitated still silently regarding her.

"I guess, I'll walk you home," he said, staring her in the eyes when she looked at him in surprise. He shrugged, put his hands in his pockets and looked to the side. "I don't want any of those things to attack you on the way back. They seem to hunt me, but you never know since you've been attacked before," Hotaru seemed hesitant at first but when Ranma mentioned the hunting monstrosities she froze up and looked around her in the park nervously. Her eyes sweeping over the deepening shadows for hostile forms, she timidly nodded her head and started to walk slowly, making sure to keep close to Ranma's side without touching him.

Ranma regretted frightening her, but while walking next to her, hands still in his pockets, he was satisfied he could do something to repay Hotaru, as well as reassuring himself she was safe. They walked slowly in silence for a good while, passing through the evening coloured park and into the streets of the city. There were still plenty of people on the streets, but most shops had closed up and the crowd was thinning out rapidly. As they moved from the small commercial district into the streets filled with smaller houses, mostly homes, the worn pavement was their only companion. A car or pedestrian passed by now and then, but otherwise the area left an empty impression. Many houses had walls around their properties, large houses with either traditional inspiration or modern creations, signifying that it was a rather wealthy area.

Hotaru suddenly stopped next to a large two-story building with rather nondescript design, having a low fence and hedge to promote privacy. Ranma looked up at it, the windows mostly like dark holes, a light on in what seemed to be the kitchen. Hotaru held the gate with one hand and looked at Ranma worriedly.

"Stay here ok? I'll be back in a minute to give you something," she said, a mix of determination and pleading in her voice and expression. Ranma regarded her for a second and then nodded mutely. She smiled a small smile at him, turned and pushed the gate open. Once on the small stone path up to the house she quickly, with nervous steps, went up to the dark door and disappeared inside.

Ranma stood silently and perfectly still, regarding the building that Hotaru went into, her home. It looked perfectly harmless, but with no lighting on it almost seemed abandoned. He saw Hotaru's small form entering the kitchen, the window only giving a glimpse of her as she rummaged around and then disappeared again.

A minute later the heavy black door opened again, soundlessly on well oiled hinges, and Hotaru came out, bearing a little bag. She came up to him, looking around nervously like she was afraid someone might see her, and pushed the bag into his hands.

"Here Ranma, some food for you," her voice as nervous as she acted, but she smiled at him, a small slight smile that made her pale face turn from pretty to beautiful. Ranma nodded and couldn't help to smile back, half in happy surprise at the treat and half in response to her shy smile.

"Thank you Hotaru, I appreciate it," he told her slowly, carefully choosing his words as if he had rarely used them in his life and was not accustomed to forming them with his mouth. An awkward silence started between them, but Ranma was distracted when he saw a figure in one of the windows back in the house. On the second floor a woman looked down on them from behind a window, partly obscured by the dark curtains. She was shrouded in shadows and he could not make out any features other than that she had deep red hair that cascaded around her face. He could not see her eyes or face directly, but he could see the glinting reflection of her eyes in the shadow where her head was. Suddenly he felt sick, a faltering, falling premonition of desperation and shrivelled decay that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Sleep well Ranma," Hotaru said, and turned away and walked into the house. Ranma was startled and held out a hand at her back and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He let his hand fall to his side again, and as she turned to him a last time, halfway through the door, and still smiled her hesitant smile toward him he stared back and then opened his mouth again.

"Goodnight Hotaru," was all that left him. She nodded and the door shut with a muted click. A shiver went up Ranma's spine as he looked up at the window with the feeling of dread lingering in his heart. The woman was no longer there, now the house seemed more like a sinister tomb than a harmless house. Trying to shake the feeling Ranma turned around and started his trek homeward.

III

Just thought I'd post something since it was nearly two years since last time, sheesh.


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